NY Sun Works Joins Councilmember Schulman & Superintendent Pate in Distributing STEM Hydroponic Kits
January 19, 2023
NY Sun Works was honored to join NYC District 29 Councilmember Lynn Schulman and Superintendent Tammy Pate in distributing over 600 of our iconic STEM Hydroponic Kits to students in three Queens schools. P.S. 54Q, P.S. 144Q, and P.S. 99Q were all chosen by Councilmember Schulman, who generously funded the kits. During her visit, the councilmember asked students about their goals for the future, and shared the joys of learning about hydroponic farming. NY Sun Works’ Director of Program Development Megan Nordgren also discussed urban farming and sustainability topics with curious learners K-5, who eagerly confided dreams of careers in STEM fields such as electrical engineering and pediatrics.
As we continue to expand our program, partnering with new schools across the wide range of NYC neighborhoods, we feel strongly that accessibility must be and remain a core component of our mission. While small in stature, these STEM Hydroponic Kits contain the materials for up to three students to share and grow their own seedlings in a passive hydroponic system. Additionally, they come equipped with 10 to 13 lessons of accompanying curriculum, dependent on the grade band and accessible via our online Learning Center. With the ability to provide delicious, delicate greens like green basil and pole beans, the kits provide students with unique opportunities to study plants on a deeper level, as well as sharpen important skills in observation and data collection. Said one 4th-grade student at P.S.54Q, “I’m excited to see the steps of how a plant can grow without soil!”
We are deeply grateful to Councilmember Schulman for allowing us to share the magic of climate science and hydroponic farming with students in her community. Our STEM Hydroponic Kits are available to all NYC educators, regardless of whether they are partnered with NY Sun Works. The kits can be ordered in multiples of 35. And requests for our final round of STEM Hydroponic Kits until the fall can be sent to Madeline on our Program Development Team this week.
